Showbiz is not easy! It’s a world filled with many unresolved mysteries. Although celebrities look glamorous and cool onscreen, several secrets are hidden in their lives. While some live with these secrets, a few celebrities have been unfortunate and lost their lives either due to their mistakes or others! We have listed a few names whose deaths are disputed. Have a look at the darker side of their world.
Selena Quintanilla (1971-1995)
Queen of Tejano Music, Selena Quintanilla, was declared dead on March 31, 1995, just 16 days before her 24th birthday. The pop star was shot by the president of her fan club, Yolanda Saldivar, in Corpus Christi, Texas. The American singer was just 23 years old when she was murdered.
Tupac Shakur (1971-1996)
Tupac Shakur, who goes by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. Six days later, the American rapper died from his injuries. The 25-year-old’s death was believed to be due to the volatile East Coast/West Coast rap feud- the fight between Tupac and New York Rapper Notorious B.I.G. Several fans have their own theory about who was involved in Tupac’s death.
Notorious B.I.G (1972-1997)
Another big artist’s death rocked the world of hip-hop, Christopher George Latore Wallace, just after Tupac’s death. Christopher, who was better known by stage names The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls, was killed in a drive-in shooting in Los Angeles, California.
Jam Master Jay (1965-2002)
Run-DMC DJ Jason William Mizell, who is known as Jam Master Jay, was killed in 2002 at a recording studio in Queens, New York, over a cocaine deal gone bad. Two decades after his death, two men were convicted for the murder. Jason was 37 at the time of his death.
Bob Crane (1928-1978)
Robert Edward Crane aka Bob Crane, who was known for his role in CBS situation comedy Hogan’s Heroe, was found bludgeoned to death with a weapon that was never identified, but investigators believed it was a camera tripod. An electric cord was tied to his neck. The actor died in his apartment on June 29, 1978, at the age of 49. His murder remains still unresolved.
Aaliyah (1979-2001)
Aaliyah Dana Haughton, who is known as the “Queen of Urban Pop” and “Princess of R&B”, was killed in an aeroplane accident in the Bahamas, which also had eight other people on board. Apparently, the aircraft, which was overloaded with luggage, crashed shortly after take-off. She was 22 at the time of her death. As per The Daily Beast report, a book alleged that the late pop star did not want to board the aircraft and was given a pill that knocked her out before the crash in August 2001.
Natalie Wood (1938-1981)
Natalie Wood was found dead under mysterious circumstances during the making of Brainstorm. The 43-year-old American actress was found floating in the water, wearing a flannel nightgown and down jacket. Initially, it was a case of accidental drowning. Although it was said that she fell into the water while she was re-tying the dinghy, there have been many questions, like why she would get on a dinghy on a cold, rainy night, and if she and Wagner had a fight that evening and why there were so many bruises on her body and arms- that remain unanswered.
Christopher Farley (1964-1997)
Comedian-actor Christopher Crosby Farley, best known as a slapstick cast member (1990–1995) on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, had a dark side and struggled with drinking and using drugs. After SNL, he went on to do movies but struggled with the pressure of fame. In 1997, the 33-year-old actor died of an overdose of cocaine and morphine, commonly known as speedball, in Chicago.
Brittany Murphy (1977-2009)
Brittany Murphy’s sudden death shocked the world. The actress-singer died at the age of 32. L.A. Reportedly, the Clueless actress died due to anemia, pneumonia and multiple drug intoxication. Coroner ruled her death as accidental and the case was closed. The coroner said that “just like Brittany,” Five months after her death, her husband Simon Monjack died of acute pneumonia and severe anaemia. Her father is challenging the investigation, and questioning whether she was poisoned.
Micheal Jackson (1958-2009)
The king of pop, Michael Jackson, was a man of complicated personality. His life was full of controversies. The pop rockstar was found dead in his home under mysterious circumstances. He died of cardiac arrest caused by a fatal combination of drugs given to him by his personal doctor at his home in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 50.
James Dean (1931-1955)
James Dean was killed in a car crash on September 30, 1955, in Cholame, California, at the age of 24. The actor was driving his Porsche 550 Spyder on a California highway when it got into a collision.
George Reeves (1914-1959)
George Reeves was found dead in his home from a gunshot wound to his head. Based on evidence found at the scene, witness statements and the autopsy report, the 45-year-old actor’s death was ruled a suicide. Although it was reported that George committed suicide due to depression caused by his failed career and not able to find more work, many believe that he was murdered. George was best known for playing Superman in the TV series Adventures of Superman.
Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)
Norma Jeane Mortenson, who goes by the stage name Marilyn Monroe, became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s. Her death shocked everyone as it left so many questions unanswered. During her final days, doctors had prescribed her several medications to treat mental health issues and insomnia. Unfortunately, the starlet overdosed on prescription medication barbiturates, which cut her life short. She was 36 when she died. Although The Los Angeles coroner’s verdict was “probable suicide,” her death on August 6, 1962, remains a mystery.
Brian Jones (1942-1969)
Guitarist Brian Jones is remembered as the founder and original leader of the Rolling Stones. In June 1969, he was replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor and in just less than a month, he was found dead in a swimming pool after a party at his home at Cotchford Farm, East Sussex. Autopsy report revealed that the 27-year-old died while under the influence of alcohol and drugs and his liver was twice the normal weight. There are several theories that suggest that he had been a victim of a crime.
Tate Sharon (1943-1969)
Sharon Marie Tate Polanski, who was married to director Roman Polanski, was just 26 years old and was eight months pregnant when she was murdered. In 1969, Tate and four others were gruesomely murdered by members of the Manson Family (followers of cult Charles Manson) in Los Angeles. It was reported that Tate begged members to be allowed to live until the birth to her unborn child, but to no avail. The murderers wrote “pig” using Tate’s blood on the front door.
Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970)
James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix was known as one of the most creative and influential musicians of the 20th century. According to police report, the guitarist died in London at the age of 27 due to an overdose of alcohol and sleeping pills. An autopsy report revealed that he aspirated his own vomit and died of asphyxia while intoxicated with barbiturates. It is said that before his death, he left a message to his manager that said, “I need help bad, man.”
Jim Morrison (1943-1971)
James Douglas Morrison was just 27 years old when he was found dead in the bathtub of the apartment. Although the cause of his death was said to be heart failure and an autopsy was not performed as it was not required by French law, a 2007 book fueled theories that suggested a cover-up.
Bruce Lee (1940- 1973)
Bruce Lee, a Hong Kong-American martial artist actor and founder of Jeet Kune Do, died at the age of 32 in Hong Kong under mysterious circumstances just six days before the release of his movie Enter the Dragon. The official cause of his death was said to be due to swelling of the brain caused by an allergic reaction to a headache medication, and the autopsy revealed no foul play.
Brandon Lee (1965- 1993)
20 years after his father’s death, actor Brandon Bruce Lee died from a wound caused by a firearm malfunction on the set of The Crow in 1993 in Wilmington, North Carolina. The movie’s producer, Bob Rosen, said that after blanks are fired, soft wadding emerges from the gun, but the object that struck Brandon was a metallic projectile. Bob wondered how the metallic projective got into the gun.
Elvis Presley (1935-1977)
Elvis Aaron Presley, known as the “King of Rock and Roll”, passed away due to heart failure at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. His girlfriend found him lying unconscious on the master suite bathroom floor. The sudden and unexpected death of the 42-year-old rock star shocked the world. The cause of his death was said to be heart failure, which was considered to be a result of his longstanding and serious drug abuse.
Sid Vicious & Nancy Spungen
In October 1978, Nancy Spungen, girlfriend of musician Sid Vicious (Simon John Ritchie), was found dead in the bathroom of the couple’s room at the Hotel Chelsea from a single stab wound to her abdomen. Sid was charged with second-degree murder but was released on bail in February 1979. However, just hours later, Sid was found dead due to a drug overdose at a party
John Lennon (1940-1980)
In 1980, John Winston Ono Lennon, aka John Lennon, was shot to death by a deranged fan in front of his Manhattan apartment building in the Dakota, in New York City. The killer confessed that he did it for fame, although he knew it was wrong and evil. The musician, who was a member of The Beatles, was 40 years old.
Kurt Donald Cobain (1967-1994)
On April 8, 1994, Kurt Cobain was discovered dead at 27, at his home in Seattle, Washington, in 1994. The musician died by shooting himself in the head with a shotgun. Reports suggest that he died three days earlier, i.e., on April 5. While the police confirmed it was a suicide, some aren’t convinced about it.
Phil Hartman (1948-1998)
Philip Edward Hartman, a Canadian-born American comedian, was shot to death by his wife, Brynn, who then committed suicide. Reportedly, Philip was shot while he was asleep. Later, Brynn calls her longtime friend, Ron Douglas, who refuses to believe her. Later, when Douglas called the police, Brynn locked and shot herself in her bedroom. It was later found that Brynn had alcohol, cocaine and antidepressants in her system on the night of the murder-suicide.
Anna Nicole Smith (1967-2007)
Vickie Lynn Marshall, known as Anna Nicole Smith, died in 2007 at the age of 39 in a Hollywood hotel room as a result of an accidental overdose of the sedative chloral hydrate, which became highly toxic when combined with other prescribed drugs in her system. Her death led to a two-year legal drama that involved Smith’s lawyer-boyfriend and two doctors, who were accused of conspiring to feed Smith’s drug addiction and using false names to obtain the drugs. However, in 2011, most of the charges were tossed.
Whitney Houston (1963- 2012)
In 2012, just the day before the Grammy Awards, Whitney Elizabeth Houston (48) was found dead in a bathtub in a hotel room at a Beverly. The cause of death was reported to be an accidental drowning, with contributing factors of heart disease and the use of cocaine.
River Phoenix (1970- 1993)
River Jude Phoenix died at the age of 23 from combined drug intoxication at Johnny Depp’s The Viper Room nightclub in West Hollywood in the early hours of Halloween 1993. It was said that that actor-musician was involved in a scuffle inside the club and was ejected by a bouncer. When he came out, he collapsed and died. The overdose was a mixture of cocaine and heroin, which is commonly known as speedball.
John F Kennedy (1917-1963)
John F Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, who was often referred to as JFK, was assassinated while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was with his wife, Texas Governor John Connally and his wife when a former US marine fatally shot him.
Philip Seymour Hoffman (1967-2014)
In 2012, Philip Seymour Hoffman was found in his Manhattan apartment. The actor had struggled with drug addiction in his early 20s. However, he was sober for many years before relapsing in 2012. As per the medical report, he died from acute mixed-drug intoxication. He was 46.
Charlie Colin (1966-2024)
Founding member of the band Train, Charlie Colin, died at the age of 58 after accidentally falling in a shower.
Mathew Perry (1969-2023)
Friends actor Mathew Perry passed away at the age of 54 after drowning in a hot tub at his L.A. home. Reports suggested that he accidentally died due to the “acute effects of ketamine” and drowned. Other factors that contributed to his death are coronary artery disease and buprenorphine, a medicine used to treat opioid use disorder. However, days before his death, his mysterious and cryptic “Mattman” Instagram post raised questions and sparked speculation about what he was trying to say.
Thelma Todd (1906-1935)
Thelma Todd was found dead in her car in 1935. The official report stated that the Hollywood starlet died due to carbon monoxide poisoning. She slumped over at the wheel, and her throat showed signs of trauma. Her death was suspicious. Also, weeks before her death, she received several notes that warned her to pay a ransom or be killed. Her death still remains an unresolved mystery.
Elizabeth Short (1924-1947)
In 1947, Elizabeth Short was found brutally murdered in a vacant lot near Leimert Park in Los Angeles. Her body was naked and sliced clean in half at the waist. There was no blood at the scene despite the cuts on her body. Black Dahlia’s unresolved murder mystery is one of L.A’s oldest cold case files.
Johnny Stompanato (1925-1958)
In 1958, Johnny Stompanato, who was a US Marine and gangster and boyfriend of actress Luna Turner, was stabbed to death. Although it was a homicide, it is not known clearly who committed the crime- Is it Luna or her daughter Cheryl Crane? Johnny was physically abusive to Luna. Some feel that Luna killed him but arranged for her daughter to take the blame to avoid prison time, save her career and gain sympathy. The jury acquitted Cheryl on the grounds of self-defence, believing that the protective teenage daughter did it.
Virginia Rappe (1891-1921)
Virginia Rappe died of internal injuries at a raucous party in a hotel suite at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco in 1921. The American silent film actress and Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle were in the room together, and Rappe’s scream was heard. When guests entered, Rappe was fully dressed but was in pain in bed and said, “he did this to me”. Rappe, who frequently had bladder infections, died due to a ruptured bladder after three days. Arbuckle, who claimed he didn’t hurt her, was charged with murder.
Ronni Chasen (1946-2010)
Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen was gunned down while she was returning home from the afterparty at the W Hollywood Hotel for the premiere of Burlesque in 2010. She was apparently shot when she was driving along a leafy stretch of Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills just after midnight. No one knew who had done this or for what they did. From murder-for-hire to rumoured gambling debts in Chasen’s family, there were many rumours. Police focused on a botched robbery attempt, but a subsequent review found that the investigation was botched. Although many questions were unanswered, the case was closed.
Bob Saget (1956-2022)
Bob Saget was found dead in his Orlando, Florida, hotel room in 2022 while he was in town for a comedy show. The medical report revealed the cause of death as an accidental head injury. A month later, it was said that he had head trauma, and his family’s statement mentioned that he accidentally hit the back of his head on something. However, some people argue that the death was the result of some assault, while others claim a disease was involved in his death as he tested COVID positive at the time of his death. But there was no evidence to prove the same.
Betty White (1922-2021)
Betty White died on New Year’s Eve (December 31, 2021). On December 25, Betty suffered a stroke. The 99-year-old actress died in her sleep six days later at her home in Los Angeles. After her death, various falsehoods appeared on social media, claiming that she died after getting a COVID-19 booster shot and that she was the sister of former first lady Barbara Bush. However, her agent slammed all rumours.
Jack Nance (1943-1996)
Marvin John Nance, popularly known as Jack Nance, died at his apartment in South Pasadena, California, on December 30, 1996, just one week after his 53rd birthday. The cause of death was said to be subdural hematoma due to an injury that he had suffered in a street fight a day before. A couple of strangers punched in the head in a doughnut shop. There were no witnesses and no suspects. To his friends, Jack painted himself as a victim. A month after the investigation, an officer was unsure if such an event had even occurred. As per a report, an investigator thinks he got drunk too much and banged his head.
Naya Rivera (1987-2020)
On July 8, 2020, Naya Marie Rivera drowned at Lake Piru, near Santa Clarita, California. After five days of extensive search, her body was recovered from the lake on the morning of July 13. Her death was ruled accidental. The autopsy report stated that she had no known history of suicidal ideation or attempts.
Mac Miller (1992-2018)
Rapper Mac Miller was found dead in his San Fernando Valley home from an overdose. The 26-year-old rapper had just released his fifth studio album and was set to begin a tour. During the investigation, three men were charged for supplying counterfeit drugs containing the powerful opioid fentanyl to the musician. One of them admitted “knowingly and intentionally” supplying the drug.
Dwayne Haskins (1997-2022)
In 2022, Dwayne Haskins was killed while training with his fellow teammates in Florida. It was said that the former NFL quarterback was under the influence of alcohol, ketamine and norketamine. His family claimed that he was drugged as a part of a plan to blackmail and rob him.
Amelia Earhart (1897)
In 1937, Amelia Mary Earhart, an American aviation pioneer, disappeared mysteriously over the Pacific Ocean. Apparently, her plane ran out of fuel over the Pacific Ocean and her remains were never uncovered.
Paul Walker (1973-2013)
In 2013, Paul Walker was killed in a car crash in California. When the car crashed, the 40-year-old Hollywood actor was riding a Porsche Carrera GT sports car with his friend Roger Rodas. As soon as death was announced, several conspiracy theories began claiming that The Fast and Furious actor was murdered. A few fans also claimed that an all-powerful secret organization targeted him.
Kobe Bryant (1978-2020)
NBA star Kobe Bryant, along with his daughter and seven others, were killed when their helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California, in January 2020. Their deaths sparked several conspiracy theories that suggested foul play.
